Electrode-holder.



E. T. SNYDER.

BLBGTRODE HOLDER.

APPLICATION 111111111111117, 1911.

11,041,689. Patented 001.111.912.

' FREDERICK T. lSNYDER, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

\ v I ELECTRODE-HOLDER.

Patented oct.` 15,1o12.

Application filed April 17, 1911. Serial No. 621.486.

To all whow'f'it 'ma-y concern: g `Beit known that I, ,Dhu-:oratori T. Sxroiln, citizen of the United States. residing at '-,Oak Park, in the county of Gool: and State of-l'lliuois, have invented a certain new and useful lmprovemt-nt in 1Clectrode-Holders, of which the following is a full, clear, con- '-cise, and exact description.

My invention relates to electric furnaces,

'and more particularly to electrode holders.

v .Itsobject is toprovide an electrode holder -which canbe readily secured to the exterior casing or shell of the .fui-nace, which will provide good electrical connect-ion between the electrode and `the ground connection therefor and suitable vmeans for cooling the g electrode, and which will-also provide means j whereby thefelectrode may be quickly and l electrode, which latter electrode may consist veasily secured in position or be removed from the furnace. 4

- In al well known type of electric furnace, the negative `electrode extends vertically through the cover of the furnace, the bottom of the furnace being provided with an opening for receivingthe bottom or positive in part of t-he molten'matcrial treated in the furnace. the lower end of the bottom electrode extending through the wall of the 4furnace and beingheld in place and cooled in -some 'suitable` manner.

Il) lS lille objectof my inventioiito provide means for holdsame time cooled in an etlicient manner.

ing,vcooli1ig and groundingl the bottom elec- ,trede of electric furnaces ofthe type de- ,351

scribed. z

" lOne featureof my invention relates to the mounting ofthe electrode' holder upon the wall or metallic shell of the furnace.

A rfurther.feature of inyinvention relates tothe arrangement for providing a ground connection for the elect-rode holder.

Still another'feature of my invention relates to the particular structure of the holder, whereby the electrode maybe readily clamped f-rfunclamped'thereby and at the These and other features of my invention may be more readily understood by reterf l ence to 4the accompanying'- drawings, -iu

Wh ich- Figure l is a central vertical section of an electric furnace embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a--bottorn plan vu-w' of the furnace shown in Fig. l, with parts broken 1away; Fig. 3 is an enlarged central longitudinal section through the electrode holder on the line 3, of Figi; and Fig. 4 is a.

section on the line 4. 4 of Fig. 3.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, the lower wall or bottoni ofthe furnace is of the usual construction, comprising masonry inclosed by a metallic.A shell or casing "2, preferably of copper,--said wall orbottom of the furnace b'efing Aprovided with an opening for the reception of the bottom electrode Mounted upon the bottom of the furnace about said opening and detachably secured to the shell 2 is the electrode holder, which preferably consists of two clamping jaws 4, 1l, provided upon their meeting faces with vsemicircular grooves 5 for receiving the electrode 3. Said jaws are adapted to be clamped securely about the electrode 3 by the clamping bolts 6, -G and the nuts 7. 7. .lt its four corners the' electrode holder is provided with lugs 8 for the reception ot' bolts 9,1whercby the holder maybe bolted 'to the wall of the furnace and. by tightening the nuts 9a, may be drawn' into close contact with the shell 2.

The jaws t of the holder are preferably made of bronze or other suitable conducting material. and thc Ishelly Q is in'cfcrably made of copper.v liy thusl boltiug the holder to the shell rood electric contact is provided between the shell and the electrode holder. l'lerctofore it has been custon'iary to ground' shell 2 near the circumference thereof. The

flexible'conductor l() being thus-.connected to the shell 2 is out of the way and is not disturbed in the act of adjusting the elect'rodc holder to remove one electrode from thc holder and substitute another therefor. ll'hcu the electrode is in position the ground connection for the material. in the furnace extends through the electrode 3, the clamping` jaws it. the metallic shell l and the tle.\'i ble conductor 1l). Each of the jaws l, el are hollow, thereby providing water chambers l2, 1S. later is circulated through the chambers 1Q. 13. At one end the holder jaws are provided with inlet and outlet water pipes 14 and 1:7, respectively. and at. the opposite end with pipes '16 and 17. Connecting the pipes 16 and i? is a pipe coupling 18, formed in two sections connected by aunion 19- One section of the coupling ,'18 extends upwardly from the pipe 16, then horizontally and then downwardly to the union 19. The other section of the. coupling 1S, extends downwardly from the pipes 17, t-hen horizontally and then upwardly to the union 19. This structure of pipe coupling readily permits the. jaws 4, /tbemg drawn together, by tightening the nuts T, or drawn apart, by loosening the nuts 7, suiiiciently to clamp o1' release the electrode 3, the coupling 18 being tlexible to such an extent as not to interfere with such operation. By slightly loosening the nuts 9, the clamping jaws 4 may, upon likewisezloosening the nuts 7, be drawn sutliciently apart to releasethe electrode 3 and to permit of the removal of one electrode and t-he substitution ot' another therefor. The electrode holder is thus of such construction and is so mounted on the wall of the furnace that its jaws can be operated without disconnecting the holder from the wall upon which it is mounted.

lVhat I claim is:

1. The combination with an electric furnace provided with an electrode extending through the wall thereof, of a water-cooled electrode-holder provided with opposed clamping' jaws for engaging said electrode, bolts extending from said wall through said clam-ping jaws, and nuts engaging the ends of said bolts, substantially as described.

2. The combination with an elect-ric furnace having a wall composed of masonry and an exterior metallic shell, said wall being provided with an opening from the interior to the exterior of the furnace for the reception of-an electrode, of a metallic electrode holder mounted on said wall .about said opening in electrical contact with said shell, and a conductor secured to said shell, whereby said electrode, holder, shell and conductor constitute a portion of an elect-rio circuit. y

3. An electrode holder comprising two opposed hollow clamping jaws, clamping bolts at the opposite ends of said electrodeholder' for adjusting the clamping engagement of said jaws, and means for circulating a cooling fluid through said hollow jaws, said latter means comprising-a flexible pipecoupling connecting the chambers in said hollow jaws, an inlet pipe to the chamber in one of said jaws and an out-letpipc from the chamber in t-he other of said jaws.

4. The combination with an electric furnace provided with a bottom electrode ,extending through the bottom wall of said furnace; of an electrode-holder comprising two opposed hollow clamping jaws, means for adjusting said jaws and means for circulating a cooling fluid through said hollow jaws; and means for adjustably mounting said electrode holder on -said bottom wall to permit of the adjustment of said jaws without detaching said holder from the furnace.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 12th day of April, A. D., 1911.

FREDERICK T. SNYDER.

Witnesses ALFRED H. MOORE, MGCLELLAND YoUNG. 

